Ijust got back into cigars after a long absence. I had mixed rememberances about Hoyo's. In the last 5 months I probably have sampled 30 different offerings. This Excalibur Epicure is in the top 5. Beautiful full smoke. Near perfect draw and construction Nutty to Caramel mild/medium flavor. My favorite combination and a good value. To those who found poor burn and flavor my experience tells me that when others are raving and you can't understand it you might look to your tobacconist. Odds are somewhere in the chain the cigars weren't properly cared for

prelight--not the best looking stick, a lot of small bumps throughout. a bit of soft spots, but no large veins. double cap wrapper.
first third--light coffee bean and smooth taste from the first draw.
second third--a tad bit of spice, but consistent, creamy smoothness
last third--just a tad bit of caramel. still the coffee bean dominates.
conclusion--mild, consistent smoke. not complex or dense at all, but it could b a reliable, mild smoke. impeccable burn until the last 1.25 inch.

I can't understand Rob from Maryland. The Epicure was smooth and nutty with a perfect burn. I've gone through many boxes of Hoyos and not a problem with any of them. I could count the touch-ups on one hand. Currently I'm finishing the box of Epicures and not a problem with construction, draw, taste, or burn. I've also smoked many Rocky Pstels and the only thing I can say is, it's a good cigar but not near worth the price Rocky Patel thinks it's worth. No Rocky is more than a three dollar stick.

Consisently the best. I am not at all an expert and have stuck with sample packs for years but this one stood out in the crowd. Mild to the end. My fingers got hot when the cigar gets down to less then an inch before the smoke does. And I usually dump a cigar as soon as it gets hot or bitter which is some where around three inches. But not these.

I cannot write enough bad things about this cigar, and all of Hoyo cigars (the only exception being the Dark Sumatra, which is still a bit strong for my palate). I bought a single of these from my local shop and enjoyed it well enough; the taste is woody, even "sawdust"-y, but I enjoyed that, and dry. I bought a box. Worst cigar decision I ever made. The construction was terrible. Sticks would split on lighting. I could only smoke them about halfway, the taste was so bitter/bland. Also, during this time, I was getting spoiled on everything Rocky Patel, so the draw on these seemed to me simply terrible, like sucking on a straw. Forget it. I ended up throwing half the box away. Good riddance. Make room in my humi for more Rocky Patels. And the occasional 5-pack of Hoyo Dark Sumatras. Oh, and the smell these things put in my humi! I had to move them out to another, smaller one because their "spice" odor was getting into my other sticks and making them taste bitter, too. I've smoked other Hoyos, too, and have generally had the same experience: bad construction (splitting cigars), poor draw, bland/bitter taste. I can't understand how anyone can give these a high mark.

I found this cigar to be quite the nice surprise, as I had previously sampled only the Merlin Excalibur, and I found this to be a superior cigar in my opinion. Easy draw, decent burn, and mild taste makes it an instant favorite for me.

I've found Hoyo de Monterrey to be one of the most reliable brands. The Epicure seems like a younger, milder version of the house Robusto, which I love, except the initial taste was jalapeno--a pleasant surprise--but this faded quickly. The complex, peanutty flavor, with floral and coffee undertones, dominated. The other qualities (draw, burn, etc.) were very good. I will probably smoke another, sometime, but I still prefer the fuller bodied Hoyo de Monterrey Robusto.

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